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Re:Ask HN: What are problems that enterprising college stude... by llarsson on Saturday August 31, 2019 @03:24AM (#20845057)
Take your "too broad" problems and break them down suck that at least a part might be doable within the allotted time frame.

People, especially young women, spend tons of time doing laundry around the world. Doing laundry in a time consuming and manual way keeps them from attending school, which makes them unable to rise out of poverty. This is a big issue.

Will you solve the issue of how time consuming it is for people to wash clothes by hand? No. But could you design, in a computer, a pedal-driven washing machine possible to make out of plastic? Yes. Build a prototype? Perhaps. Make instructions available? Maybe. Roughly estimate costs? Sure.

If done well, this could help fix a problem the world is facing. Or at least help create good ideas for others to work more on.

Don't limit yourselves.

Re:Ask HN: What are problems that enterprising college stude... by oh-moses on Saturday August 31, 2019 @01:08PM (#20847506)
Sounds weird, but someone actually did exactly that

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x594yMPSFqk

Re:Ask HN: What are problems that enterprising college stude... by squirrelicus on Saturday August 31, 2019 @03:29AM (#20845067)
I know that was an example out of thin air and not to be taken literally, but I can just see the commercials a la Juicero or Morus or Waterseer. What you need is an overpriced device that makes doing laundry even more exhausting and time consuming because technology! Now when the laundry piles up, you'll feel daunted AND fat!